Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Matthew 19:14  NLT   But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” It is almost time for back2school 2025.  We have planned for months and been sharing this outreach for 19 years.  I still get excited and nervous.  But what I know is that I do not know it all. Let me explain. The stories and things that happen around back2school are incredible and could only be utilized together by our good and gracious God.  Because of that fact there is something that I have been reminded us that I want to pass on to others.  This applies not only to this back2school event, but this applies to everything our God does.  Here we go … Expect God to work! I mean really.  Expect God to open hearts and eyes.  Expect God to meet needs and go beyond what you think possible.  Expect God to speak when things and times seem silent.  Expect God to change live...

  Praise God for all He has done and is doing.  Fact is back2school is only one place where God is working.  He is working in remote locations and public places, in large groups and when people are all alone.  God has a plan to bring even more people to Him. Take some time to thank God, no praise God, for what He is doing, what you have seen, how you have experienced God’s work and where He is leading you in the days ahead.   Psalm 26:12  NLT   Now I stand on solid ground, and I will publicly praise the Lord.   The more I see Him and the more I want praise Him.  Then the stronger I can stand!   Psalm 103:2  NLT   Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.   The more I praise Him the less I forget Him.  Let’s praise God more.   Ephesians 1:3  NLT   All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the hea...

  It’s not over completely as we have one more location that will be serving students this coming Saturday, but this past weekend nine back2school places served students.  It was incredible, and I would like to share the overflow. No, I am not talking about the numbers and the data.  That will come eventually.  What the overflow is … it is the God stuff that took place. There were hiccups and hurdles we had to get over.  Yet God sent us people who were a blessing.  The smiles and the hugs were plenty.  The resources were in place to do what they were meant to do, and honestly, this is why we do what we do. It is all to share the fact that there is hope in Jesus.  Students heard stories about God changing people’s lives.  Each one had their feet washed by a volunteer that talked to them about their future, encouraged them to dream and prayed with each one. Let me start with those who served.  Our volunteer team is amazing.  We had a ...

  John 13:4-5,14 NLT  So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow.  He served.  He valued and gave value to others.  That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet.  It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives.  Jesus said we should do this.  See the verse above.  Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

  Just seeing their faces might change your life.  Their smiles… laughs… concerns… bright eyes … and so much more make all that goes on during back2school pretty incredible. As I was explaining to a group of people today about the process of interacting with students, specially during the foot washing process, really is life changing.  It might change the student and their families as well as the volunteer that is working with them. One more part of back2school that makes it special is the students.  The can be as young as preschoolers who are just beginning their education career  It might be a student who is about to exit high school and head off to their bright and big futures.  And we get to encourage and speak in to their lives. Students and their families are those that we are blessed to serve.  Would you please join me in praying for each and every student that will be part of this process? Pray for them to be able to hear.  Pray that we wi...

I have met a lot of heroes in my life, but some of them aren’t the people you think they might be.  Some heroes wear uniforms of various kinds.  Some heroes have an extra special talents.  But I want to tell you about some other heroes that I know very well. 1 Peter 4:10  NLT   God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. It is back2school week for so many of our locations, and this week on several days our heroes will be gathering.  Would you like to join in? One place they will gather is at our future campus, 700 Commerce Court in Martinsville, to pack a couple thousand backpacks.  Tuesday at 6pm is the place to be and time to be part of. Another time that heroes will gather is Saturday when the big back2school event is happening.  Also Friday afternoon at our church in Collinsville, we will be serving students in each location.   The Dictionary.com website says a hero is a ...

  Why back2school?  That is a great question, and I would like to challenge you and bless you today if that would be possible. Matthew 19:14  NLT   But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” For the children!  That is the first and most important answer to the reason of why  we do back2school.  Each student that is part of this outreach will receive a new backpack with school supplies, new shoes and socks as well as hear the Gospel.  We cannot and must not miss the opportunity to tell them about Jesus. Job 11:18  NLT   Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety. For the families!  That is the next reason and just as important as the first.  You have learned this if you are a parent… if you bless my children, you bless me.  When we make an effort to share hope and life with others it goes way be...

The stories that go along with the back2school project seem to have no end.  I am talking about the students who are so cool.  Some just grab your heart when you serve them.  Then there are families or students going through a crisis.  Even more when you learn that a kid you served steps up, does well or has turned a hopeless tough situation in to a win and success. We help students win when we help them.  It has a lot more to it than new shoes and socks, backpacks and school supplies.  It is about the hope that we share.  Literally we are giving out hope.  We are … Hope Givers. Hope Sharers. Hope Servers. Hope Examples. Hope Conversations. Hope and so much more. I challenge you, and each of our team members, to give away the hope that God has given you.  Your experience has built your hope.  Now help others know and have hope. Job 11:18  NLT Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety. Psalm 71:...

Yesterday was Father’s Day.  It is an important day to remember some of the people who have impacted our lives.  I am grateful for my dad, my father-in-law and several other men who have made a difference in my life. We are watching all around us life seem to unravel.  From the affects of the Covid-19 virus to the unrest of protests and riots all the way to the political happens around our nation, this is obviously a time when we need people of great character to step up and lead.   In the message I shared with our church yesterday I asserted, as many have before me, that our homes and families must be places of strength and peace where countless people and even our nation are led with strength.  How can we have stronger homes?  I believe that happens with strong commitments from the leaders of our homes.  And we think about dads, husbands and parents where much of that great leadership should begin. Stop thinking that the schools or th...